182 



among masses of stone, and other obstructions, causing 

 every where little falls : they lay also under weirs, banks, 

 and other secluded haunts, where they rind abundance of 

 food; for trouts are extremely ravenous, and destroy 

 immense quantities of small fry of all kinds. 



They are very partial to those situations where they can 

 lay concealed, especially if the long flowing water- weed 

 is played over them by the current ; there they lay in 

 safety from the net, and are ready to dart out at whatever 

 prey may offer to their view. 



The males are by far the keenest, but are not so strong 

 in the water as the females j which are deeper in the 

 body, and are in general richer and higher flavoured, but 

 not so firm as the males. 



Trouts vary in size according to the wafers they inha- 

 bit ; in some places they are considered as very large 

 when they weigh two pounds; in other.-;, many are caught 

 weighing seven or eight pounds, and are only deemed 

 Jinejishes. I have heard of some reaching to fourteen 

 pounds; but such must be rare indeed. 



Those bred in small streams seldom attain to any great 

 size ; but they become very numerous, and afford excel- 

 lent diversion by their eagerness, especially after the^%. 



The largest are almost invariably found in great waters, 

 and in those parts which are frequented by the larleL 

 Indeed, I have seen many trouts of eight or nine pounds 

 weight, taken out of those holes where gentlemen have 

 been angling, with greaves on their hooks, for larlel. 



When trouts are on the feed, they generally run upon 

 the scours, being then in chace of minnows, and other 

 small fishes. In such case, you cannot do better than 

 troll with a minnow, or throw a fly over them ; that is 



M 



